


Just a Little Longer

by thehungryinvader



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Can they just kiss already jfc, Canon Compliant, Happy Birthday Gladio, Hidden Feelings, I have a paper due on the same day as Gladio's birthday, M/M, OR IS IT, Obvious pining is obvious, Pining, Unrequited Love, guess what i wrote first, pls leave comments i need validation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-04-17 05:28:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14181861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thehungryinvader/pseuds/thehungryinvader
Summary: He holds him close, just so he can pretend it’s the two of them, just for a little longer. One day he’ll tell him. Not today, though. Net yet.





	Just a Little Longer

Brown eyes flutter open, staring at the canvas material of the Coleman tent. Gladiolus sighs softly, looking first to his right – Prompto, curled against Ignis for warmth; the strategist’s lean arm thrown is across Prompto’s stomach. Gladio snorts, then turns to his left: Noctis conked out on his back as usual, chest rising and falling with even breaths, with a slight furrow to the brow.

Ever since the news of Insomnia’s fall, this is the most peaceful that Noctis has looked in sleep. Probably the most rest he’s gotten in weeks. Gladio sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose between his fingers. Poor kid.

Gladio stretches just a little, trying not to wake the others. It’s odd to be awake before Ignis. He checks his phone. Five to five. Great. The first real rest they’ve had in weeks and he wakes up at the ass-crack of dawn.

Gladio slowly gets up, steps out of the tent into the cool morning air. Dewy drops cling to the grass. It’s still dark outside, save for the faintest orange slowly brightening the eastern sky. It’s not humid like it’s been the past few days, not yet anyway, and Gladio takes a moment to appreciate the peace and quiet, something that seems to be rare these days. Settling into a camp chair, he stokes the firepit with a branch, trying to rouse any remaining sparks.

“Gladio?”

Gladio turns around; Noctis has emerged from the tent, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Hey, Noct.”

“What are you doing up?”

“What are  _you_  doing up? Thought you had some z’s to catch up on there, princess.”

Noct grumbles , “Don’t call me that…”, but there’s no bite behind the words.

“Did I wake you?”

“Nah, you didn’t…I just…”

Noctis trails off into silence, looking uncomfortable, and Gladio knows that it was another nightmare. Noct used to get really bad ones as a kid, ones he would wake up screaming from. Ignis or Gladio would usually be the ones to calm the prince back down, and as he got olde, they seemed to all but disappear– but ever since King Regis was murdered, Gladio suspects they’ve gotten even worse.

Gladio tries to break the uneasy atmosphere. “Gonna make coffee. You want some?”

Noct shrugs, and the bodyguard takes that as a ‘yes’. Gathering the ingredients, he putters around with the camp stove until there is a pot of coffee slowly heating over the burner.

The prince makes himself comfortable in the folding chair next to Gladio’s, staring into the distance. The slowly rising sun reflects in the luminous blue eyes, and Gladio finds himself staring at the prince’s silhouette, studying the planes of his face.

“Did you want this?” Noctis asks, and Gladio finds himself watching his lips form the words.

“Huh?”

“Did you want…this? Do you want this?” The prince gestures in the air with his hands, and with a pang of sadness, Gladio realizes what he means.

“Never knew much else,” he grunts, crossing his arms across his massive chest. “I mean…I’ve always known it’s my job to take care of you…it’s all I’ve ever been trained to do. From day one. If it’s all you’ve ever known…then there’s not much to miss, y’know?”

Noctis smiles wryly. “I guess so.”

“It ain’t that bad,” Gladio smirks, lightly punching the prince’s thin arm. “You’re an okay guy.”

“Just ‘okay’?” Noct scoffs, returning the punch.

Gladio grins and looks back to the east. The sun is rising higher now, the orange turning into vibrant golds and yellows.

He looks back to Noct, whose face is highlighted by the warm colours of the sun, the blue eyes taking on a gold tint in the sunlight. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

“Talk about what?”

Gladio just fixes him with a deadpan stare, until the boy purses his lips, obviously annoyed that he can’t fool his friend. “I…It was really bad this time.”

Gladio stays quiet.

Noctis looks down at his hands, twists them in his lap. He takes a deep breath before continuing. “This time…it was Luna. At least, I think it was. I was in the dark. And I could hear her. She was calling my name, telling me to come to her. But everytime I tried to move…I couldn’t. I couldn’t move. I could only stay there in the dark and wait…I couldn’t help her, Gladio. I was useless.” He keeps his head down, trying to avoid eye contact with the other.

Gladio sighs and steps out of the camp chair. Squatting down in front of Noct, he grabs bothbofb the prince’s small hands in his large ones. “Look at me.  _Look_  at me, Noct.”

Reluctant blue eyes meet honey-brown, and Gladio’s words escape him, just for a moment, as he realizes just how beautiful the prince really is. Even with bags under his eyes and eyebrows pinched together in worry, Noct is still one of the most captivating people he has ever seen.

“You are  _not_  useless. You are gonna get through this. You are strong and capable. Luna will be fine. You will be fine. You’re gonna be King someday, Noct. Not just anyone can do that. You’re going to be  _our_  King, be  _my_ King. And trust me when I say, there isn’t anyone else I would rather have to be my King.”

Noctis just stares at him for a moment, and Gladio starts to freak out, thinking he’s said the wrong thing. Then Noct leans forward, wraps his arms around his friend and buries his face into his neck.

Gladio is too surprised to move for a moment, but then he has the mind to return the embrace.

“Thank you,” Noct murmurs, and Gladio feels his lips shape the words against the skin of his neck. “Thank you, Gladio. I needed that.”

Gladio squeezes his prince a little harder, holding him tighter, feels his heartbeat against his bare chest. He holds him close, just so he can pretend it’s the two of them, just for a little longer. One day he’ll tell him. Not today, though. Net yet.

Gladio looks to the horizon, where the sun has finally emerged from the darkness of night, sending rays of light across Eos in the beginning of a brand new day.  He presses the softest of kisses to Noct’s head and smiles.

“Yeah. I know.”

**Author's Note:**

> WOW, I actually think it's been a year since I posted something and guess what, it's not my best. Shocker. But I really wanted to put something out for the big guy's birthday.  
> Anywho, I really hope you guys at least liked it. Please let me know what you think. Also Happy Birthday Gladio. You gigantic nerd. <3


End file.
